Nestable plastic container



June 27, 1967 M. MUELLER NESTABLE PLASTIC CONTAINER Filed Jan. 5, 1965 III " HHHHHH ulu/11111 [mil A TTORNEKS United States Patent 3,327,895 NESTABLE PLASTIC CONTAINER Martin Mueller, Chicago, 11]., assignor to Seymour C. Graham Filed Jan. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 423,448 4 Claims. (Cl. 220-97) This invention relates to cup-shaped containers and, particularly, to containers made from a thin sheet of plastic material that are designed so they can be stacked in nested relationship.

Thin walled, plastic containers made of both paper and plastic in various sizes and shapes are currently available on the market. Such containers have been used for holding a wide variety of items, such as hot and cold drinks, ice cream, cottage cheese, and other products suitable for retaining or storing in this manner. The tremendous quantities of such containers currently being used require that they be designed so they can be stacked within a minimum volume, such as in a nested or telescoped relationship. Furthermore, they must be sufliciently strong to prevent buckling when they are handled.

In addition, if these containers are to be used to retain the product containedtherein for an extended period, they should be made to readily receive and retain a lid in position to prevent the product from flowing out of the container. The lid should be readily removable to permit emptying of the container while at the same time serving as an eifective cover when located in place.

When the containers are stacked, they should be sufficiently free to permit automatic dispensing of individual cups. In essence, some arrangement must be provided whereby when a plurality of containers are stacked, the axial force applied thereto would not jam or wedge the container sidewalls, thus making it difiicult for the containers to be dispensed one at a time. Jamming or wedging of the cup sidewalls would result in distortion thereof and affect air circulation and accurate dispensing.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a cup-like container which can be readily nested with a similar cup and easily separated therefrom. There is provided a substantial contacting area between the containers when nested, which prevents jarning of the containers when they are stacked. The illustrated stacking arrangement serves to reinforce the cup sidewall, provide a seat for a lid when the container is to be sealed, and facilitate handling of the cup. The lid is retained in place relative to the shoulder by a suitably designed rim portion which is sufliciently flexible to permit ready insertion and removal of the lid.

It is to be noted that the novel nesting arrangement could be located in the lower part of the container in which case it would not serve as a seat for the lid.

Briefly, in the embodiment illustrated, the container defines a shoulder adjacent its open end that is adapted to receive the container lid, which shoulder has a smaller inner diameter but a larger outer diameter than an annular stacking ring located therebelow. The annular stacking ring is designed to rest on the aforementioned shoulder of a second container when the containers are nested and serves to reinforce the container sidewall and aid in gripping the cup. The rim portion of the cup defines an inwardly extending lip which will retain the lid in place on the shoulder when the lid is inserted in position.

The structure by which the above and other advantages of this invention are attained will be described in the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred structural embodiment of the invention, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation view of a cup-like container embodying the present invention;

ice

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of a plurality of nested containers;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of a filled container showing a lid located in place; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view of an upper portion of nested containers showing the relationship between the stacking assemblies thereof when in the nested position.

A container of the type to which this invention is particularly applicable is one made of plastic, such as high impact polystyrene. The container may be formed from a single sheet of material by a plastic molding process which forms no part of the present invention.

As shown in the drawings, there is seen a plastic molded or formed container designated by the numeral 2. The container has a bottom wall 4 and a sidewall 6 of generally f-rustoconical configuration which is integral with the bottom wall 4. The sidewall 6 forms an angle of approximately 6" with the vertical and tapers upwardly and outwardly from the junction of the bottom wall 4 and sidewall 6. Formed at the upper end of a sidewall is the novel stacking ring means 8 to which the present invention is directed. Surrounding the upper end of the container is an outwardly and downwardly extending rim portion 10.

The novel stacking means 8 consists of a ring 12 comprising an upwardly extending generally cylindrical portion 12a, a lower wall 12b that connects to the upper portion of the tapered sidewall 6, and an upper wall that connects to a vertically disposed cylindrical portion 14. The outer diameter of the generally cylindrical portion 12a is greater than that of the cylinder 14 which is larger than the outer diameter of the upper portion of the tapered sidewall 6, where it joins with the lower wall 12b. This ring 12, in addition to facilitating nesting, also serves to reinforce the container sidewall and provide a gripping portion for one handling the container.

The uper portion of the vertical wall 14 is connected to a generally horizontal circumferentially extending continuous shoulder 16 that has extending upward from its outer end thereof a generally cylindrical wall 18. The outer diameter of wall 18 is greater than that of ring 12 which thus enables shoulder 16 to serve as an annular platform to support ring 12 of a similar container when they are placed in nested relationship.

The shoulder 16 may also be used as a seat for a lid 20 when it is desired to seal product in the container 2. The lid 20 is retained in place by an inwardly extending lip 22 formed at the junction of wall 18 and rim 10 which is sufficiently flexible to allow the lid to be snapped into position beneath the lip 22 which firmly locks the lid in position while permitting ready removal.

The downwardly extending portion 24 of the rim 10 has a smaller axial dimension than the axial length between shoulder 16 and wall 12b to prevent jamming of the rim portions of nested containers which would tend to prevent accurate dispensing of the containers.

As shown in FIGURE 4, when a plurality of containers are nested, the bottom wall 12b of ring 12 seats on the shoulder 16 of a second cup and the rims 10 are axially spaced. Since the outer diameter of the cylinder 12a is larger than the diameter of wall 14, there is a relatively large annular platform provided for supporting a telescoped container which precludes the possibility of the container jamming.

Thus, it can 'be seen that there is provided a novel stacking arrangement formed in the sidewall of a cuplike container which serves to support a telescoped container in stacking relationship. The novel design forms the further functions of strengthening the sidewall of the container and as a seat for a lid in the event the container is used for storing product. It is, of course, to be understood that the stacking means is not limited to to use with a lid.

For example, the novel stacking means may be located at an intermediate portion of the container sidewall, or in a lower part adjacent the bottom thereof. In these cases, the shoulder 16 would serve as a support for ring 12 and would not function as a lid seat. Furthermore, while the shoulder 16 and ring walls 12a, 12b are shown as extending horizontally, they could be formed with a slight bias upward or downward, as desired.

It can be appreciated that when a particular size container is designed, the various design criteria, such as wall thickness, taper, and rim length, are taken into consideration to insure that the cups can be suitably stacked.

It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A thin walled nestable cup-like container having integral bottom and sidewall portions, the lower portion of said sidewall being of a substantially frustoconical shape, the upper portion of said sidewall defining a cylindrical wall section, an annular stacking ring interconnecting said cylindrical section and the upper part of said frustoconical section, said ring having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of said cylindrical section, and the outer diameter of said cylindrical section being larger than the outer diameter of said sidewall at the junction of said ring and frustoconical portion, a horizontally extending circumferential shoulder connected to the upper portion of said cylindrical section and having an outer diameter larger than said annular ring, and a rim assembly connected to the outer end of said shoulder including a cylindrical portion and an overhanging lip whereby a lid can be retained in place on said shoulder by said lip.

2. A thin walled nestable cup-like container having integral bottom and sidewall portions, the lower portion of said sidewall being of a substantially frustoconical shape, the upper portion of said sidewall defining a cylindrical wall section, an annular stacking ring interconnecting said cylindrical section and the upper part of said frustoconical section, said ring including a vertical wall, a lower horizontally extending wall connected to the tapered sidewall portion and an upper horizontally extending wall connected to said cylindrical wall section, the outer diameter of said vertical wall being larger than the outer diameter of said cylindrical section, and the outer diameter of said cylindrical section being larger than the outer diameter of said sidewall at the juncture of said ring and frustoconical portion, and a horizontally extending circumferential shoulder connected to the upper portion of said cylindrical section having an outer diameter larger than said vertical wall for supporting a container in nested relationship therewith, a cylindrical wall extending up from the outer end of said shoulder, and a downwardly extending portion spaced outwardly from the cup sidewall formed integrally with and spaced outwardly from said cylindrical wall having an axial dimension less than the distance between said lower horizontally extending wall and said shoulder whereby the containers will not jam when a plurality are nested.

3. A thin walled nestable cup-like container having integral bottom and sidewall portions, the lower portion of said sidewall being of a substantially frustoconical shape, the upper portion of said sidewall defining a cylindrical wall section, an annular stacking ring interconnecting said cylindrical section and the upper part of said frustoconical section, said ring including a vertical wall, a lower horizontally extending wall connected to the tapered sidewall portion and an upper horizontally extending wall connected to said cylindrical wall section, the outer diameter of said vertical wall being larger than the outer diameter of said cylindrical section, and the outer diameter of said cylindrical section being larger than the outer diameter of said sidewall at the juncture of said ring and frustoconical portion, a horizontally extending circumferential shoulder connected to the upper portion of said cylindrical section having an outer diameter larger than said vertical wall, and a rim assembly connected to the outlet end of said shoulder including a cylindrical wal lextending up from said outer end and an overhanging lip extending inwardly from the top of said cylindrical wall and overhanging said shoulder for retaining a lid in place on said shoulder.

4. A thin walled nestable cup-like container having integral bottom and sidewall portions, the lower portion of said sidewall being of a substantially frustoconical shape, the upper portion of said sidewall defining a cylindrical wall section, an annular stacking ring interconnecting said cylindrical section and the upper part of said frustoconical section, said ring including a vertical wall, a lower horizontally extending wall connected to the tapered sidewall portion and an upper horizontally extending wall connected to said cylindrical wall section, the outer diameter of said vertical wall being larger than the outer diameter of said cylindrical section, and the outer diameter of said cylindrical section being larger than the outer diameter of said sidewall at the juncture of said ring and frustoconical portion, a horizontally extending circumferential shoulder connected to the upper portion of said cylindrical section having an outer diameter larger than said vertical wall and a rim assembly connected to the outer end of said shoulder including a cylindrical wall extending up therefrom and a flexible overhanging lip extending inwardly from the top of said cylindrical wall for retaining a lid in place on said shoulder, and a downwardly extending portion spaced outwardly from the cup sidewall having an axial dimension less than the distance between said lower horizontally extending wall and said shoulder whereby the rims will not jam when a plurality of containers are nested.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,094,240 6/ 1963 Wanderer 220--97 3,223,305 12/1965 Edwards 229-15 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Examiner. 

1. A THIN WALLED NESTABLE CUP-LIKE CONTAINER HAVING INTEGRAL BOTTOM AND SIDEWALL PORTIONS, THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SIDEWALL BEING OF A SUBTANTIALLY FRUSTOCONICAL SHAPE, THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID SIDEWALL DEFINING A CYLINDRICAL WALL SECTION, AN ANNULAR STACKING RING INTERCONNECTING SAID CYLINDRICAL SECTION AND THE UPPER PART OF SAID FRUSTOCONICAL SECTION, SAID RING HAVING AN OUTER DIAMETER LARGER THAN THE OUTER DIAMETER OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SECTION, AND THE OUTER DIAMETER OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SECTION BEING LARGER THAN THE OUTER DIAMETER OF SAID SIDEWALL AT THE JUNCTION OF SAID RING AND FRUSTOCONICAL PORTION, A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIAL SHOULDER CONNECTED TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SECTION AND HAVING AN OUTER DIAMETER LARGER THAN SAID ANNULAR RING, AND A RIM ASSEMBLY CONNECTED TO THE OUTER END OF SAID SHOULDER INCLUDING A CYLINDRICAL PORTION AND AN OVERHANGING LIP WHEREBY A LID CAN BE RETAINED IN PLACE ON SAID SHOULDER BY SAID LIP. 